19 Days

  This probably sums up the way yesterday felt as good as anything,  I felt okay when I got up in the morning. Just a little nauseous. But as the day went on, it got worse. 
   That's okay, I pretty much expected it to. Especially after the way it made me feel before. Part of the reason I had asked about them giving me IV fluids.
   I figure if I can stay liquidified enough maybe I'll get to where I feel like eating sooner. 
Pretty sure that will work out. Positive it will.
But right now. This song:
19 Days
   And that's okay.
   Everyday can't be sunshine and roses. Into each life some rain must fall. Cause the reason that falls makes the roses bloom. 😋
   Hey, the neat thing, cancer treatment takes a holiday Monday for Labor Day.
 
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Thanks for Your Support!

Lemon on a Pear

   

   At precisely 8:55 today, I was halfway through with my radiation. That was 5 minutes into my 18th treatment so I had had 17½ treatments out of 35.
    WoooHooo!
   
   And sometime about when I post this, I will be halfway through with my chemotherapy.
   Not with the side effects, but halfway through with the actual them putting stuff in me. CISPLATIN. That's what it's called. I think it has platinum on it. 
   And when I get out of here today, I may go get me some KFC Gravy to celebrate. Cause if it's like the last time I had chemo, I ain't gonna want to eat anything tomorrow. 
   I am going to ask if they can schedule me for IVs tomorrow and Friday so I don't wind up terribly dehydrated. 
   And as I'm sitting here hooked up to the IV I get a text and an email announcing a hatch day special from Ideal Poultry. The first one in over a month. 
  
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Thank You for Your Support!

17 Days

   17 days down out of 35.

    Tomorrow, halfway through my radiation treatment, I will be halfway done with radiation treatment. 

   And that, I may celebrate. 

And as Forest Gump says, 
That's all I got to say about that

The doctor today said everything looks like it should.
   He said I looked better than a lot of people do halfway through their radiation.
   And I'll take that as positive.
   He said I've lost weight. I said yes, but I also put on weight before I started treatment..

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Thanks for Your Prayers!
Thanks for Your Support!

What's Your Cancer Ribbon Color?

   That's the question I got asked this morning. And my response was, "I Dunno".
   I really didn't know. And I'm not sure I wanted to know. I'm not that fond of cancer. And I don't know that I want to be acquainted well enough with cancer to give it a ribbon. Unless maybe a participation ribbon for showing up, losing and going away. 
   In which case, I'll be glad to give it a ribbon for that.
   "Here's a green participation ribbon, now, go away!"

That works as far as I'm concerned. Adios! Au Revoir! Auf Wiedersehen!

Anyway!

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Thank You for Your Support!

Make A Joyful Noise

   The past couple of weeks, I've skipped going to the choir. Not because I can't sing. I can, but not well. It hurts my throat to sing. It ain't no big thing.
   I figger it's going to get better, or it won't. I'm going to try to get my week arranged to the point where I can sing on Sundays.
   I like singing. I like it better when I sound good, but that ain't what the Bible says I'm supposed to do. 
   It doesn't say sing a beautiful song. It doesn't say sing perfectly on pitch. 
   Nope, it says make a JOYFUL NOISE.
  And if I can sing without it hurting too much, I'll make a joyful noise. 
Like the Bible Says I'm Spost Ta.

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Thank You for Your Support!

Kiss Me Deadly.....

   Back years ago Lita Ford sang a song titled Kiss Me Deadly.
   The line that stuck out was 
It Ain't No Big Thing.

   They told me I was going to lose the hair on my neck, and I have been. They said I might lose the hair on my chin. My goatee has been spared, so far.
   But in the last couple of days, I've been losing the hair next to the goatee. It Ain't No Big Thing!
   This morning I looked in the mirror and decided I was going to take the plunge.
   I unbraided my goatee, braided it back up, and cut it off. That way I don't have to try to deal with half a goatee just dangling there pathetically. (Like guys going bald with a combover) It Ain't No Big Thing.
   I cut the braid off. I'm not sure how long I've had a goatee long enough to braid, but it's been years.
   But the little clump of hair on the right, that's what I pulled out of the goatee after I cut the braid off. I measured it, it's about 7 inches long. That's around 16-18 months of growth if it wasn't braided.
   Either way, I'm still incredibly handsome. That's probably one of my best attributes, that or my modesty or my humility.

Anyway,
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Thanks for Praying!
Thank You for Your Support!

God Bless You!

15 days

   3/7 down. 
   That means I have 4/7 left.
   After I got home from radiation today I started getting ready for a project I've been meaning to do for some time. I didn't start on it, but I started getting ready for it.
   I don't know how long it will take, but I guess I got to start sometime.
   It still hurts to swallow. And it hurts to yawn. And I really try to avoid sneezing. When I take the magic mouthwash, it makes it easier. 
   Oh, I also have thrush. Got some medicine for that too. I don't think I've ever had that. I've had children get it, I think Zeke and Jeremiah, but as far as I can remember, I've never had it.
   Maybe when I reach halfway through my raidiatuon, the lump in my neck will start shrinking faster.
   
Anyway, have a great weekend!
Thanks for Your Prayers!
Thanks for Reading!
Thank You for Your Support!

Urgggh

   Even trying to be intentional about drinking, I don't think I'm drinking enough.
It's hard to drink 2 liters of water, or Gatorade, or tea, or 
cran-grape/apple/cherry. Whatever.
   Can't drink 2 liters of soda cause it burns my throat. 
    But in today's random wanderings I've been looking for American Mulefoot Hogs on the internet. And found that there are a lot of websites that say they have them, but haven't updated any information on their website in years. 
   But anyhow today was day 14 of 35
Reduced that's 2 of 5 which is

   That's right 40% through with radiation!

   

   I'm doing pretty good I think. But today I want to ask y'all to pray for Mrs Dorothy Doran's family and for Tim Scott.

   Mrs Dorothy passed away this morning and Tim Scott has been admitted to the hospital.

   

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Thanks for Your Prayers!

Thank You for Your Support!

13 days

   Yesterday's visit with the doctor was encouraging. He said everything that I was experiencing was what I was supposed to be experiencing.
   I don't care who you are, that's good news!  Much better than being told, well you should be having this happen...But it's not.
   Losing the hair from my neck was something I was warned would probably happen. 
   And the doctor prescribed me something that's called magic mouthwash, I take it every 2 hours and it makes swallowing less painful. That's a good thing!
   The people that do the radiation are fantastic. They also keep changing around.
   Today I had Fred & Ginger. Seriously. 
   
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Thanks for Praying!
Thank You for Your Support! 

Deep Thoughts

   Today I was thinking deep thoughts. Which I do occasionally. Not everything that runs through my head is nonsense. Thoughts about why I keep writing this stuff. 
   And honestly, I'm writing for me. I want to be able to look back and see, what was I thinking then. Today, I've completed 1/3 of my radiation. I have an appointment with my radiologist in just a few minutes. 
   Nothing tastes right. Even things that smell perfect, the taste just doesn't match up. And it hurts to swallow. I don't mean just drinking or eating. Just swallowing in general. 
   And my neck is leaking. From where they debulked the mass in my neck. Over a month ago. I'm not worried about it. It's just annoying.

   And that leads me to another thought. That picture up there where I'm in deep thought (I recreated that photo) when I took my hand away. I found this:

   My neck hair is starting to fall out. They told me I might lose it permanently. We'll find out, I suppose. When I find out, I'll let you know. 
   
   Okay, talked to the radiologist. He said that my reactions are normal for the treatment I've gotten. So that's all good!

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Thanks for Prayers!
Thanks for Your Support!
God Bless You!

11 days down.

   11 of 35 radiation treatments have been applied. I'm still not glowing in the dark. Today, sometime during my treatment, I will be 1/3 through my radiation. 

    Yesterday, they decided they wanted to hook me up for another liter of fluid. But really, they only wanted to give me the liter, so they could give me some Potassium.

   That's okay. Cause they said they're not going to draw anymore blood until next Wednesday.

   When I get Chemo treatment #2. 

And for those of you keeping track, if you're not, don't worry, I'm keeping track.

   When I get the second dose of chemo next Wednesday, I will be over halfway through my radiation. 

   I will receive my 18th radiation treatment which will put me over ½.

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Thanks for Praying!

Thanks for Your Support!

God Bless You!

Washers, Weekends, Wonderful!

International Washer Pitching Contest

   What do ya do when you want to do something, but not too much?
   Pitch Washers. They're light, pretty cheap, don't take too much energy. That's a dang good thing today. 
   Resting in the shade. Which is what I did most of the time. Watching Jeremiah Win 3rd place in the Juniors. That was fun.

   Then Sunday, Wild Game Supper at church.

   Duck, Deer, Dove, Turkey, Quail, I may have missed something. But I think I tried everything. 

   A good weekend, a good meal, good fellowship. Loved It!

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for Praying!

Thanks for your Support!

God Bless You!

   

Why? Part 2.

 I don't know which why I'm answering here. As far as the looking for field trials on hemp crops,  there are some components of hemp that can alleviate the sides effects of chemotherapy. And that's good enough for me. 
    By next year I'll be cured and able to work. If I am, I'm probably going to apply for a license to grow hemp. Just like an acre or 2. On a tiny part of my land.  Particularly hemp grown for CBD production. But you have to apply for the same license whether your growing for fiber, seed, or flower.
    Getting fluids by IV gives you time to do nothing, something, read, watch TV, sleep. Contemplate all the choices you've made in your life that have led you to this point. 
   Consider the things that recently led up to this: 
   When I left the job I started 3 weeks after moving to TN, I thought I would be off work possibly a month. I was leaving right before Christmas, so I thought I probably wouldn't find anything before the first of the year.
   The New Year came and I wasn't getting any return calls from the applications I was putting in. Then February came along. March, April, May. I'm putting applications in and getting hardly any replies. Not working, I was able to take Yvette to doctor videos, rehab for her shoulder surgery, to get her gall bladder tested, to get her gall bladder removed. 
   I wasn't where I wanted to be (working), but I think God had me where he needed me to be. I did get a couple of interviews by phone during April, a short temp job in May. 
   THEN.........
May 22. I went to see the doctor. I had a swollen lymph gland in my neck that had been swollen for about a month. She sent me to get a CT scan the next day. 2 days later I was in Memphis getting a needle biopsy.
   A little less than 3 months later, I'm about 6 weeks post surgery. I found out that my surgery was debulking the mass. I've had 10 days of radiation. I've had 1 dose of chemotherapy and decided that the horror stories I've heard about chemo, just may be true. 
 Thanks for Reading!
Thanks for Praying!
Thanks for your Support!
Thanks for being You!

(P.S. If you know where I can find field trial results from hemp crops, let me know)
   

Why? Why ask why?

   So, day 9 of 35. That's, umm, (9 goes into 3 no times so then 9 goes into 35 3 times with a remainder of 8). I'm uhh, a little over 25% done with radiation. 
   

Right now I'm sitting in room 27 on the second floor at Kirkland Cancer Center receiving fluids. My levels were low yesterday. How low? Umm, they gave me 2 liters of saline, I didn't have to get up and go pee the whole time. 
   And while I'm hooked up, well today I'm looking for some type of results from hemp field trials. They are hard to find. (Read that as dang near impossible to find).
    Getting 2 liters of fluid today, I had to get up and go pee twice. That's better than not peeing, right?
   That's a rhetorical question. I know it's good. 
   As for today's title, someone asked why I was writing this stuff. I'm writing it so I can read later on and find out what I was thinking. I've never seen a blog written day by day about this. I'm not even sure I've seen one written week by week as some ones going through treatment. 
   I'm not telling EVERY detail of my life. There's some of the stuff you don't want to hear about. I don't think the nurse wanted to hear about it. But if she didn't hear about it, then my medicine wouldn't get changed.
   If you know what the C in OIC stands for, just know there is  C that can come from Chemo. And when C crosses with C, it can get painful. 
Thanks to you for reading!
Thanks for your support!
Thanks for your prayers!
Thanks for being You!

Well...

💩

   I thought I was doing pretty good on getting fluids in my body to stay hydrated. Ummm, nope. Not even close.
   That would be wrong. Today after radiation they took my blood levels. (1 week after chemo)
My WBC, RBC, PGA, MLB, RBI, ERA and other numbers were pretty good. My creatinine and something else, ABYSMAL.
   So, what do you do for that? Hook you up to an IV and pump some fluids into you.
  Yes sir, yes sir 2 bags full. And and  to make sure it works, they want to do it again tomorrow and Friday! 🙌 
   The alternative is they stick my butt in the hospital. How do they do radiation when you're in the hospital? Put you in a wheelchair, roll you across to the radiation place and roll you back to your room afterwards. I'm sure it is nowhere as fun and glamorous as they made it sound. Outside of the, you'd be secluded and  not able to run around and do all the things you've been doing.
   Anyway.
Thanks for Reading!
Thanks for Praying!
Thanks for Everything!

Milestone!!!!

   That's what I've been through so far.  7 days of radiation out of 35 is 20%.
   Got to see the radiation Doctor today. 
Dr. G. He said the images they've taken so far shows the treatment is doing what it's supposed to. He didn't show them to me, so I'll take his word for it.
   He looked in my mouth, he looked down my throat. He said they both looked good, no infection! 🙌
   I have lost some weight since I started treatment. I can't tell it. None of my clothes feel magically larger.
   Tomorrow they do a test of my blood levels. That's the chemotherapy doctor side of my treatment. I don't know what happens if they don't like my levels. Praying that my levels make them happy.
    Anyways. 
I Love You All! 
Thanks for Reading! 
Thanks for Praying! 
Thanks for Everything!
   

Side Effects?

   Yeah, I got those. Not all of them, but enough.
Nausea
Loss in ability to taste food
Dry mouth
Dark urine
Decreased sweating
Dry skin
  Those are the common ones from the chemotherapy. 
Temporary hair loss, nope don't have that one.
   Tinnitus. Yep. Got that one. Not fun. 

Are the side effects worth it?

Did you see the picture from yesterday?
   Where my wife and 4 children joined the church where I grew up. 
   I want to someday see their children join that same church.
   Keep praying for me, praying for my family, praying for my doctors. Praying for my healing!
God Bless You!

We are the Hands and Feet.....

   Today during the announcements period at church, Yvette got up and spoke about how much we have been blessed by the church in the past few months.
   And that the blessings have come at moments when we desperately needed them. 
   When she finished speaking, she told Reverend Adams, that she had decided she wanted to join the church. And Reverend Adams said we can do that at the end of the service, after checking with the session members. 
   Then at the end of the service, when normally, we have the carrying the light out into the world after the closing song.The Wonderful Reverend said, y'all sit back down, we've got some church business to attend to first. 
   Yvette sat back down. I told her, they need you up there, you're the church business they're taking care of.So when Yvette got up there, she asked, is there anyone else that wants to be added to the enrollment today?
   And another person raised their hand. Richie!  I looked at my children and silent voiced across the sanctuary, do you want to join? Zara got up, Zeke got up, Jeremiah got up, Gabe got up.
   So at the end of service, Cool Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church had 6 new members on the church enrollment.

God is Good, All the Time!
All the Time, God is Good!

Tomorrow I start week 2 of radiation!
Keep praying, and God Bless You All!
 

   

I Got Nothing

   Seriously, Nothing. No appointments, no radiation, no chemo. No children to take to school. Nobody to pick up after school. I've been up for a while, I've laid down for a while. I've watched Perry Mason, I've watched some Matlock, now some Law & Order SVU. 

    Trying to consume my recommended amount of fluids so I don't fry my kidneys. 

   Checking my temperature. 

   Ate me some more greens. 

   Had a bowl of cereal. 

   I may have fried green tomatoes in a little while.

   Tomorrow is another day.

   And Monday is my next day of radiation.

   Keep Praying and God Bless You!

5 Down!

   Good food makes happy bowls. 
Yesterday, when I was feeling nauseous someone asked if there was anything I wanted to eat. I said turnip greens with smoked hog jowl.
   This might not make sense to some people. Okay it might not make sense to anyone but me, but if I'm nauseous and going to hurl. It might as well be something I like. 
   I feel a little better today, I took my prescribed anti-nausea medicine. I got me some anti-motion sickness bands.
    And I got me some Gatorade. I've drank about a quart. Got another quart to go. 
   And then there's the news that may make some people happy. If I put a dip in, I start getting nauseous again. 😳
   So I may wind up kicking a habit I've had for about 42 or 43 years.
   Keep praying for the mass to shrink. 
   And for those people who have blessed us with their time, with food, or with a donation, may they be returned to you 100-fold or 1000-fold. 
   
   

Another One Done!

  

 4 down, 31 to go.
   Yesterday after radiation #3 I had chemotherapy #1.
   When they hooked me up, they first put some drugs in that they said would prevent the nausea that sometimes accompanies the chemo. The nurse said I wouldn't have it until 7-10 days later.
   Then the second nurse that was talking to me said that it would delay the nausea for 2-3 days.
   Last night I took Zeke and Zara to visitation for a girl they knew from school. This is the second person they knew to pass away in less than a week. A person they knew where we used to live was killed in a shooting over the weekend. Then this person died in a car accident.  They wanted to go, and I need to be more active than I have been. We stood in line for an hour and 45 minutes. I had forgotten how many people turn out for visitation for someone so young. It was hot. I was sweating. I started leaking from my incision. 
   After we got home, I just wanted to go to bed. I didn't want any supper, I didn't want anything to drink. Just to lay down and relax.
   And I slept pretty good. I woke up once or twice but that's pretty normal. When it was time to get up, I jumped out of bed, got dressed, took Yvette and the childrens to school, took Brayden to the babysitter, and headed to my radiation appointment. 
   They were running a little bit behind. But I got done. When I sat up afterwards, I felt a little dizzy. But it passed. Went out, got one a dip, got in the van, and went to the store to see if I could find some tank tops. 
   By the time I got to the store, I was feeling a little nauseous. I got me some pepto-bismol. That helped some. Then I got home, picked up the anti-nausea pills picked up Brayden and sat down. 
   I'm drinking Gatorade, I've had 2 of the Boost supplements since I didn't eat last night or this morning. As long as I'm sitting, I'm okay. When I get up and move, I feel nauseous. 
   I think I'm seasick. When I go retrieve children from school, I'm going to see if I can get one of those bands and see if it helps.
   Pray for me. Thanks!

Let's Do Chemo!

   Today's blog is brought to you by the BARD Power Port cause that's what I'm hooked up to right now.
   I came in this morning a little earlier than the first 2 times. And I want y'all to know something.

   Those prayers you put up yesterday. THEY WORKED!

   I don't know if the mass shrunk, or it was just that I was leaking from where they did the incision when they removed the mass, and I did some heavy leaking (draining) yesterday afternoon and 2 or 3 times during the night.
   When they put my mask on today, there was no pressure on my throat. Whatever y'all did, Thanks! Radiation went great!
   Then the chemotherapy. 

   They hooked me up to the machine using my BARD Power Port. They spent an hour putting stuff in me. An anti nausea medicine, and some other stuff. It took an hour. They hung 2 bags of saline. I've already finished one bag of saline (1000ml) and had to unplug my machine from the wall so I could go to the bathroom. 
   So far, I'm not feeling sick. I've had an interesting conversation with one of the volunteers about her daughter in laws chickens. (She didn't provide a nest box and 5 of the hens were pecking the other one)
   But thank you for your prayers. And speaking of prayers, have you ever noticed there are different praying hands?
  🙏🙏🏼🙏🏻🙏🏾🙏🏿
I've got 5 shades of praying hands in a  post about me. Look close, those are 2 different shades of black. I've got a rainbow of hands praying for me. 
  And that makes me HAPPY! 😊
God Bless You and keep praying!

Another One Done

   This one was a little better. I had experience. Just lay there and think happy thoughts. Compose a blog in my mind. 

   Think about what I'm going to write tomorrow. Think about baseball. No wait, that's for something different. 😳

   Think about what I want to ask of you.

   You see the red circle? That's where they cut out the mass. They didn't cut all of the mass out. And like Johnson Grass or any other weed, if you don't get it all, it's gonna grow back. And the mass seems to be growing. 

   More importantly, it's grown since they fitted me for my radiation helmet.

   Which means, that when they fasten it down, it's pushing on that mass. And it's kinda uncomfortable.

   So what I want to ask of you is that you direct your prayers. Pray that this mass will shrink immediately. Not in 2 weeks, not in 3 weeks. NOW!

   Thanks. See ya tomorrow.

P.S.: I'm still not glowing in the dark.

1 Down

 Wasn't bad. I learned something today. I can't have a piece of candy in my mouth during the radiation treatments. 
   It creates saliva and that means I have to swallow. Swallowing is almost impossible in my radiation helmet. I think either the mask shrunk since they made it, or my neck is swollen. I'm gonna go with my neck being a bit swollen. 
   When I got home I did check to see if I glowed in the dark. I didn't. But that's okay, I still have 34 treatments to go. 
   I wound up playing both songs on the way home. 
   Radioactive AND Shine. Then I sang This Little Light of Mine
   Keep praying! THANKS!

Reader Poll

   If anybody reads this, and I know somebody will. I need some help.                     Tomorrow is my first radiation treatment.
   When I'm leaving the place. Which song should I be listening to?
Radioactive by The Firm
Or should I go with 
Shine by The Newsboys?

Let me know what you think.

36 Hours

  More or Less.
   That's how far away I am from Radiation.
   The next step in the healing process. The road back to normal. 5 treatments a week. 7 weeks. I've been warned it can be horrible. I've been told that it may not be that bad. I don't know. But I'll let you know.
   84 hours. 
That's how far away from my first chemotherapy appointment I am.
   3 treatments.
   The first one, then 3 weeks later, I have another. Then 3 more weeks until I have the last one. 
   I haven't drawn up a calendar yet. But I probably will. 
   The thing bothering me right now?
   Itching. When they installed the port they shaved my chest. Not just where they put the port in. My whole chest. Shoulder to shoulder from my nipples to my neck. And the hair growing back is driving me crazy. 
   And the waiting. That's not the greatest thing either.
    Keep praying, keep positive. And if I start getting down during my treatment, remind me to stay positive. Thanks!

Oh Yeah

   Today was supposed to be my first day of chemotherapy. At least that's what they told me last Wednesday when I met with the doctors. 
   I'm not sure how much they communicate together. I met with the chemo doctor first. He scheduled my first chemo treatment. He scheduled an appointment for me to get my port put in where they were going to administer the chemo.
   Then I met with the radiologist, told him when my chemo was going to start, told me when they are going to put in the port. He told me I was going to get fitted for my mask so they would get the radiation directly on my cancer and not in my ear or my eye or up my nose. After they fitted me for the mask, the guy scheduled me for my first radiation treatment for August 6. Next Monday.
   Friday I went and got my port put in talked to them about when my chemo was going to start and when my radiation was going to start. Came home and, well I blogged about it. Messaged the people that don't get the info on Facebook.
   Then Monday, I took children and wife to school, then Brayden and I did some stuff. I had my phone on silent. And saw I had 3 missed calls from the hospital. They left me a voicemail telling me my chemo was rescheduled for NEXT Wednesday since my radiation wasn't scheduled to begin until next Monday. 
   Oh well, keep praying and I want to say:

THANK YOU!

   To everyone that has prayed for me, supported me in any way, messaged me, sent me a card, anything and everything.

❤😁❤